Cold case murder suspect arrested

YREKA - An arrest has been made in the cold case murder of Hannah Zaccaglini, the 15-year-old girl who disappeared in the McCloud area in 1997.

According to a press release issued by the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office (SCSO), on Nov. 15, deputies arrested Edward Ray Henline, 57, of McCloud.

Henline is charged with first degree murder and conspiracy to commit a crime. He is being held without bail in the Siskiyou County Jail.

Siskiyou County District Attorney Kirk Andrus stated that Henline is scheduled to be arraigned in the Siskiyou County Superior Court on Monday.

According to the release, on June 5, 1997 Hannah went missing shortly after being last seen walking with Henline in the vicinity of his home.

“For several months, sheriff’s office detectives from the Major Crimes Unit have been vigorously pursuing new and previous investigative leads, which led to the arrest of Mr. Henline. Some leads were generated by new witnesses but SCSO Detectives believe there are other citizens with knowledge about Hannah’s disappearance and the circumstances leading to her death,” the release stated.

The SCSO is also conducting a parallel investigation involving the disappearance of Karen Knechtel Mero, another McCloud resident who was 27 years old at the time of her disappearance – also in 1997 and also from the McCloud area.

Anyone with information about either of these two cases is urged to contact Detective Jeff Moser at 842-8764. Calls may also be made to the SCSO 24-hour Dispatch Center at 841-2900.

In the release, Siskiyou County Sheriff Jon Lopey wrote the following statement regarding Henline’s arrest:

“I am proud of the exemplary investigative efforts of the SCSO Major Crimes Unit, which tenaciously and relentlessly pursued investigative leads in this case which ultimately led to the arrest of the suspect, Mr. Henline.

“This has been a long, arduous and emotionally tumultuous journey for the investigators and this tragic case has been extremely difficult for the loving family and friends of Hannah Zaccaglini.

“Family members and friends have had to live with the grief, uncertainty and irrevocable loss associated with her disappearance for over 15 long years.

“The department has been working very closely with the Siskiyou County District Attorney’s Office to ensure charges are filed against Mr. Henline and any involved co-conspirators.

“This investigation also involved the assistance and support from many state and local agencies, which assisted the sheriff’s office with various phases of the investigation. The assisting agencies include the California Department of Justice (Bureau of Investigations and Redding Crime Lab), Siskiyou County Wide Interagency Narcotics Task Force, Yreka and Weed Police departments, California Highway Patrol, Siskiyou County District Attorney’s Office Investigative Unit, Siskiyou County Probation Department and Western States Intelligence Network (WSIN).

Page 2 of 2 - “This arrest resulted from good old-fashioned police work, the dauntless efforts of our investigators, the collective efforts of many law enforcement agencies and the support of witnesses willing to provide information about the case.

“The arrest of Mr. Henline reinforces one important point and that is that the SCSO will vigorously and relentlessly pursue criminals who prey on children and adults in our county.

“This case, although still on-going, also serves as a small measure of closure to the family and friends of Ms. Hannah Zaccaglini and I am grateful for the hard work and determination of those law enforcement professionals participating in this major investigative effort. On behalf of the SCSO, I would also like to take this opportunity to extend our thoughts, prayers and sincere condolences to Hannah’s family and friends.”